Ofcom Unveils Spectrum Draft Document For London 2012 Olympic Games

The UK communications regulator Ofcom has revealed that it might consider temporarily borrowing sections of the wireless spectrum from public sector organisations ahead of the London 2012 Olympic games.

A draft document called "Draft Spectrum Plan" and published on Ofcom's website, analyses the various options that are currently available to the public body and recommends the use of some radio spectrum from the Ministry of Defence (MOD), the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).

The London 2012 Olympic Games will necessitate an unprecedented amount of bandwidth and wireless spectrum caused by the sheer amount of journalists and news outlets present at the event.

The bandwidth issue would be compounded by the fact that by then, gigabyte-gobbling HD or even 3D content will be mainstream.

An Ofcom spokesperson also told online tech news website ZDNet UK that "The MOD have got quite a lot of spectrum – about a third of the spectrum that's under 16GHz". In total, the MOD controls over 75 percent of all radio spectrums across the land.

Interested parties have until the 5th of August to respond to the consultation document.

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Our Comments

The London Olympic Games might end up costing 10 times more than originally predicted but that's a decision that cannot be reverted as it stands. The Ofcom will have to be particularly wary about the fact that taking spectrum away from the MoD during the Olympic games could have dramatic effect if terrorists or a concerted attack takes place during the games.